Green Ramp disaster
Encyclopedia
The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision
and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base (Pope AFB)
, North Carolina
that killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army
's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II
.
On the day of the accident, about 500 paratrooper
s from Fort Bragg
were in the pax shed, the concrete mock-ups or resting in the grassy area. While the jumpers prepared to board several C-130s and C-141 aircraft parked on Green Ramp, the sky was filled with Air Force F-16, A-10
and C-130 aircraft conducting Air Force training.
, 317th Group). Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing which were tenants at Pope Air Force Base at the time. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet. The nose of the F-16 severed the C-130's right elevator
. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner
to try to recover the aircraft, but the aircraft began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road which ran around it. Both F-16 crewmembers ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp. At the same time, the C-130 crew took their aircraft away from the airfield, and checked to ensure it could land. While the crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris-littered runway.
By the time the C-130 landed, the F-16 had hit Green Ramp heading west. The aircraft struck the ground in an empty parking place between two Air Force C-130s with crews on board preparing the aircraft for departure. When the F-16 hit the ground, its momentum carried the wreckage westward through the right wing of a C-141 (66-0173, of the 438th Airlift Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey) parked on the ramp. The C-141 crew was also preparing the aircraft for joint Army-Air Force operations, however, no Army troops had yet boarded the plane. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the Pax Shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. Twenty-three men died and over 80 were injured; one severely burned paratrooper died later on 3 January 1995.
Paratroopers at the scene pulled troopers from the flames and the exploding 20mm F-16 ammunition. Military and civilian vehicles were commandeered to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center
.
Several of the more severely burned victims were taken to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center
, Texas. Two months after the accident, only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home.
A subsequent U.S. Air Force investigation placed most of the blame for the accident on the military and civilian air traffic control
lers working Pope air traffic that day. A later investigation, however, stated that pilot error
by the F-16 pilots also contributed to the mishap. The ramifications of the Air Force decision, since abandoned, of operating dissimilar aircraft (in this case C-130s and F-16s) at the same air base were not examined by the two accident investigation boards.
Mid-air collision
A mid-air collision is an aviation accident in which two or more aircraft come into contact during flight. Owing to the relatively high velocities involved and any subsequent impact on the ground or sea, very severe damage or the total destruction of at least one of the aircraft involved usually...
and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base (Pope AFB)
Pope Air Force Base
Pope Field is a United States Army facility located 12 miles northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.-Units:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
that killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Crash
The "Green Ramp" is the large north-south parking ramp at the west end of Pope AFB's east-west runway, used by the U.S. Army and Air Force to stage joint operations. Several buildings sit along its western edge, including Building 900, the building housing the Air Force operations group. A pax shed (a large open-bay building) sat next to Building 900, which the Army used to prepare troops for parachute drops. A large grassy area, where troops could stage before drops, lay between the two buildings. Behind the area, several concrete mock-ups of the backs of Air Force cargo aircraft had been constructed, where troops could rehearse their drop procedures.On the day of the accident, about 500 paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
s from Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
were in the pax shed, the concrete mock-ups or resting in the grassy area. While the jumpers prepared to board several C-130s and C-141 aircraft parked on Green Ramp, the sky was filled with Air Force F-16, A-10
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
and C-130 aircraft conducting Air Force training.
Mid-air collision
Shortly after 14:00 hours on March 23rd, 1994, an F-16D (88-0171, c/n 1D-25, of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Group,) conducting a simulated flameout (SFO) approach collided with a USAF Lockheed C-130E Hercules, (68-10942, c/n 4322, of the 2nd Airlift Squadron2nd Airlift Squadron
2nd Airlift Squadron was a unit of Polish Air Force stationed in 2nd Air Base in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It was disbanded in 2007....
, 317th Group). Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing which were tenants at Pope Air Force Base at the time. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet. The nose of the F-16 severed the C-130's right elevator
Elevator (aircraft)
Elevators are flight control surfaces, usually at the rear of an aircraft, which control the aircraft's orientation by changing the pitch of the aircraft, and so also the angle of attack of the wing. In simplified terms, they make the aircraft nose-up or nose-down...
. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
to try to recover the aircraft, but the aircraft began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road which ran around it. Both F-16 crewmembers ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp. At the same time, the C-130 crew took their aircraft away from the airfield, and checked to ensure it could land. While the crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris-littered runway.
Ground collision
Paratroopers at the scene pulled troopers from the flames and the exploding 20mm F-16 ammunition. Military and civilian vehicles were commandeered to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center
Womack Army Medical Center
Womack Army Medical Center is a United States Army-run military hospital that is located on Fort Bragg in near Fayetteville, North Carolina. The facility is named for Medal of Honor winner Bryant H. Womack. It contains 138 beds with 66,542 patients visit the hospital's emergency room; a total of...
.
Aftermath
Brooke Army Medical Center
Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio is part of the United States Army Medical Command. It is a University of Texas Health Science Center and USUHS teaching hospital and contains the Army Burn Center....
, Texas. Two months after the accident, only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home.
A subsequent U.S. Air Force investigation placed most of the blame for the accident on the military and civilian air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
lers working Pope air traffic that day. A later investigation, however, stated that pilot error
Pilot error
Pilot error is a term used to describe the cause of an accident involving an airworthy aircraft where the pilot is considered to be principally or partially responsible...
by the F-16 pilots also contributed to the mishap. The ramifications of the Air Force decision, since abandoned, of operating dissimilar aircraft (in this case C-130s and F-16s) at the same air base were not examined by the two accident investigation boards.